February 14: It was a grey day mostly filled with the sad task of starting to clear out the assisted living apartment where Joan had died, but Mr. Karen and I did stop at store to pick up some supplies. The minute or two I spent looking at all the Valentine’s flowers was a bright spot.

 

February 15: While packing up her wardrobe, I was honored to be trusted by the family to pick out some options for the outfit Joan will be buried in. I knew it had to be blue, Joan’s favorite color.

 

February 16: The floral arrangement the retirement home sent to the family arrived. The director had told us it was coming but would be delayed to it being backed up behind orders for Valentine’s Day.

 

February 17: Another of the photos I stopped to snap a picture of when I was packing up Joan’s apartment. This is her and the man who would become my father-in-law decades later. I think this was taken in 1953 or 1954. They’re so young and look so happy. They were married 60 years before he died, and I think Joan missed him terribly pretty much every day since he passed in late 2014.

 

February 18: We dropped off Joan’s burial outfit and had a private family viewing of her body at the local funeral home in the early afternoon. Then some of us went over to her apartment and did more packing and moving things out to storage. One of the things I did was put some of Joan’s toiletries in her well used but still perfectly functional train case. (That won’t go to storage but over to my sister-in-law’s house, as she may want to display some of the perfume bottles and such.) I believe Joan brought this on every overnight trip we ever took together. One time I packed it up for her and brought it to the hospital when an emergency room visit turned into an admission. My own mother had a similar case, though I don’t know what happened to hers.

 

February 19: We were all tired, emotionally and physically, so mutually decided to hang out at my sister-in-law’s house and relax and eat comfort food. Some of us never left the house all day. It was grey and rainy outside, so a good day for hiding out indoors.

 

February 20: We worked on getting almost the last of the things out of Joan’s apartment (a few pieces of furniture remain, their disposition still to be determined). After dinner, on what would be the last day of this visit for me and Mr. Karen, we played hearts, one of Joan’s favorite things to do when the family got together. We had to repurpose one of the jokers to replace a card with a creased corner.

 

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On this date in 2017 through 2021: No entries
2016: More Things
2011 through 2015: No entries
2010: Two Pics in One
2008 and 2009: No entries
2007: Quilt To Do v. 2007.2
2003 through 2006: No entries